Fighting rages near Yemen’s Taiz as UN urges humanitarian access

What the report says

Fighting has intensified around Yemen’s southwestern city of Taiz, where government-aligned forces and the Houthis are battling on several fronts, according to Al Jazeera’s report published on 29 October 2026. The article says the clashes are centered south of Taiz, including areas such as Al-Aqroudh, Al-Masrakh and Sabir al-Mawadim, while Houthi-linked media reported air strikes on Mocha and its port on the Red Sea coast west of the city.

Government forces said they repelled attacks and are trying to break a Houthi siege on parts of the area. A spokesman for the forces told Al Jazeera that their units carried out military operations against Houthi positions, while a military source also described air strikes on gatherings and vehicles southeast of Taiz. The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, have been in conflict with Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.

The UN’s humanitarian office said the spike in violence is worsening an already severe crisis. It said more than 281,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since early August, and warned that aid access to around 800,000 people trapped in Taiz is becoming increasingly urgent. The agency added that a key road has been damaged, forcing aid deliveries to use narrow mountain routes.

The report also noted that flights resumed at Aden international airport after a temporary suspension, following a reported missile strike near the site. More broadly, the fighting fits into a wider escalation in Yemen after recent Houthi gains along the Red Sea coast and subsequent counterattacks.